One judge to go in Thomson Mpinganjira case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said it is impressed with testimonies presented by its witnesses against businessman Thomson Mpinganjira in the judges’ bribery case.

So far, justices Michael Tembo, Dingiswayo Madise and Healey Potani and Judge Redson Kapindu have testified against Mpinganjira in the case.

The matter has been adjourned to Friday, when Justice Ivy Kamanga will give her testimony.

Judge Redson Kapindu’s turn to testify against Mpinganjira came Tuesday.

ACB Director General Reyneck Matemba said he was impressed with the testimonies this far.

“So far so good, Justice Kapindu has told the court what he told us and also what we established ourselves through our independent investigations,” he said.

In his testimony, Kapindu told the court that Potani told the panel that Mpinganjira had told him that he was even ready to fly to Lilongwe to deliver a parcel to the judges, adding that he also wanted to check if the money which was being sent to members of the panel had been reaching them.

But in cross-examination by one of Mpinganjira’s lawyers Fostino Mayere, Kapindu conceded that he was not part of the conversations between Mpinganjira and Justice Tembo and between Mpinganjira and Justice Potani.

He, however, said he listened to the conversation between Justice Tembo and Mpinganjira in an audio clip and was able to vouch that the conversation actually took place.

“Justice Tembo told me that the other person was Mr Mpinganjira and, being a prominent figure himself, I recognised the voice as his,” he said.

Kapindu concurred with Tembo in his earlier testimony that they did not report the matter to the ACB immediately because doing so would have compromised their concentration on the case.

At the onset of the hearing, Mpinganjira’s lawyer Patrice Nkhono reminded the court that the testimony of Kapindu was primarily what he was told by another party.

Commenting on the plea bargain arrangement, Nkhono said he expected to conclude the plea bargain arrangement but was not hopeful of success.

“When we talk of plea bargaining, the accused person should be able to admit the counts. Dr. Mpinganjira is not able to do that and, in our view, the evidence the State has is lacking and this did not help the matters,” he said.